Fascia molding device

ABSTRACT

A FASCIA MOLDING DEVICE ADAPTED FOR SECURING ALONG AN OUTER EDGE OF A BALCONY OR OTHER STRUCTURE PROTRUDING BEYOND A BUILDING EXTERIOR WALL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY PORTION OF PREDETERMINED DECORATIVE CONFIGURATION, AN ELONGATED REARWARDLY INCLINING LIP PORTION SECURED ALONG AN UPPER EDGE OF SAID BODY PORTION, A REARWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE PORTION SECURED ALONG A LOWER EDGE OF SAID BODY PORTION.

March 16, 1971 NORTH 3,570,197

FASCIA MOLDING DEVICE Filed March 18, 1969 INV ENTOR JAMES R. NORTH ATTORN EVS United States Patent C) 3,570,197 FASCIA MOLDING DEVICE James R. North, Aurora, Colo. (Rte. 2, Box 101, Castle Rock, Colo. 80104) Filed Mar. 18, 1969, Ser. No. 808,143 Int. Cl. E04b 1/34, 5/17 US. Cl. 52-73 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to the building construction art and more particularly to decorative finishing strips or fascia moldings, of the type adapted for securing along an outer balcony, walkway, or roof edge protruding beyond a building exterior wall.

In recent years, the building industry has experienced unparalleled growth. Even more significant is the accelerated use of preformed, prestressed concrete structural members for achieving aesthetic and economic gains. Entire wall, floor and roof sections are now preformed and thereafter brought to the construction site for erection, assembly and finishing. These sections, as used for floors, walkways, etc., provide a base support for a variety of utility conduits secured to such base and subsequently imbedded within a finishing layer of cementitious material placed thereon. Where the preformed base or slab extends beyond the exterior wall of a building, as in a balcony, suitable forming means must be used to contain the fluid finishing material during the set-up process, Further, it is necessary to finish such exposed edges so it properly blends with the building exterior.

Where balconies are constructed using preformed members, there is the additional need for safety rails, suitably anchored to the base. Present practice dictates use of ordinary angle-iron anchored to a base, serving as the form for containment of finishing topping and thereafter providing a metal surface for the attachment of safety rails. While the use of angle iron is functional, it has the disadvantages of being unattractive, heavy, and awkward to install. A more serious disadvantage is observable upon examining the joint formed between the angle-iron and the balcony composite structure. Subsequent contraction of the cementitious topping results in an open joint which is permeable to water, causing rusting and dripping. To overcome the problem of internal rusting and unsightly dripping to the floor below, frequent caulking of the joints is necessitated.

The present invention succeeds in overcoming all of the disadvantages of previously used angle-iron by providing a decorative fascia molding which is functional and requires no special caulking or joint sealing. In addition, cost savings are realized over the prior art device. For example, a standard 3" x 5" x A thick angle-iron, weighing approximately 6.3 pounds per running foot, is replaced by a 14-gauge 3" x 5" fascia molding of this invention, weighing only 2.3 pounds per running foot of length. Not only is there a significant reduction in the weight but due to the structural features incorporated in the instant invention, greater structural rigidity is provided to guard rails supported thereto.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a fascia molding for securing along an external edge of a balcony, walkway, etc., which is decorative and lightweight.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fascia molding having increased rigidity for safety rails secured thereto resulting in minimum flexing of the rails.

'Still another object is to provide a fascia moldingcementitious composite combination having an improved joint thereby requiring no caulking or other such maintenance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description used to illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention as read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, sectioned in part, illustrating a fascia molding of the instant invention secured along an edge of a structural cementitious composite;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of aforesaid fascia moldingcomposite combination taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

'FIG. 3 is a sectional view, as in FIG. 2, illustrating another configuration of the fascia molding; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, as in FIG. 2, illustrating another configuration of the fascia molding.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, a preferred fascia molding-building composite combination is generally designated as 8. As will easily be appreciated from viewing FIGS. 1-4, fascia molding 10, 10a or 10b forms an integral part of the concrete composite 12 extending along an outer edge of said composite so as to be generally visible to the public.

Composite 12, constituting a finished balcony floor, walkway, roof or floor structure is preferably formed of cementitious substances and includes a slab understructure or base 14 precast in shapes suitable for its intended use and a finished overlayer or topping 16, applied to base 114 in the final stages of the building construction.

As seen in FIGS. l-4, each of the fascia moldings 10,

10a, 10b are elongated members adapted for extending along the composite outer edge 18 being integrally secured to both base 14 and topping 16. Each of the moldings includes a central or body portion 20 of predetermined configuration, a lower flange portion 22 for supporting topping material placed thereon, and an upper lip portion 24, downwardly inclined so as to be imbedded in topping 16 rigidly securing the fascia molding to the cementitious composite. Fascia moldings 10, 10a, 1012 may be formed of a variety of metallic materials such as galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum or alloys thereof. Select configurations are depicted in FIGS. 24, but since the functions of such moldings are both decorative and functional, the particular cross-sectional configuration may be altered without departing from the effectiveness thereof.

In FIG. 2, body portion 20 is substantially perpendicular to flange 22 and presents a flat, continuous, and unbroken appearance when viewed from the front. In FIG. 3, body portion 20a is of arcuate cross-section, convex, in frontal appearance, and connected to arcuate lower flange member 22a and inclined lip portion 24a, thereby providing a generally smooth, continuous, curved edge appearance. A third embodiment, shown in FIG. 4, provides a body portion 20b having upper and lower surfaces inclined towards each other at the longitudinal axis of the body portion and further connected with a horizontal flange portion 22b at the lower end and an inclined, downwardly directed lip portion 24b at the upper end thereof.

In using any of the fascia moldings as previously described in combination with composite materials, base 14 is preferably provided with a plurality of rectangular plates 30, partially imbedded in the upper surface of said base and spaced at approximately four foot intervals near the end of said base.

As shown in FIG. 1, fascia molding 10 is separated from an outer edge 11 of base 14 at a distance equal to the desired topping edge thickness. Angle-iron 32, joined to plate 30 and fascia molding 10, as by welding, maintains said molding in the desired position until the topping material is added thereto. Anchor rods 34 secured to the inside surface of fascia molding 10 provide anchoring to the interior of said topping material. These rods are preferably U-shaped members spaced between angle-iron members 32. Once the molding is in place and secured to base 14, topping material may be applied thereto. Fascia molding 10 provides a necessary dam-like structure for retaining such fluid materials until setting or hardening occurs. Cementitious topping material flows beneath lip portion 24 as well as to the upper edge of said lip subsequently forming a water impermeable joint which has great rigidity and strength.

Once topping surface 16 has hardened, the operation is completed and form removal steps are not required. When a balcony structure is involved, safety rails (not shown) are secured directly to the fascia molding. Due to the efiicient joint structure at the base, very little rail flexing is observed.

Having described the present invention in connection with preferred embodiments it should be understood that the invention is not limited by the structural details set forth herein but includes reasonable changes which may 4 be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination: a preformed balcony floor section supported by and projecting from a vertical Wall of a building; the exposed edges of said floor section being faced with a single strip of sheet metal spaced from said edges and having a portion underlying a margin of the underside of said floor section and in contact therewith, the upper edge of said sheet metal, space above said floor section, being bent downwardly toward the upper surface of said floor section; and a layer of cementitious material overlying the upper surface and the exposed edges of said floor section, said layer occupying the space between said metal strip and the edges of said floor section and containing the downwardly bent edge of said metal strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 863,760 8/1907 Schachner 52190 1,234,013 7/1917 Gustafson 52-182 1,536,895 5/1925 Lindyberg 52-188X 1,712,807 5/1929 Baum 52255X ALFRED C. PERI-1AM, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 52-371 

